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Bellingham, Washington (cropped)Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Bellingham

Bellingham is a college town: 17 of every 100 residents are students

Western Washington University (14,432 students on campus) and Whatcom Community College (2,256) are inside the city. Across Washington, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town17% of residents are studentsWestern Washington UniversityBellingham Technical CollegeWhatcom Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Bellingham. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
18,546 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Western Washington University
Residents in college
17%
Above WA (6%)
Nearest community college
2.1 mi
Bellingham Technical College · $4,431 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Western Washington University · $9,582 in-state
Students on campus in Bellingham
18,142
next to 96,395 residents

What stands out about college in Bellingham

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town17 of every 100 Bellingham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.Three colleges within 3 milesWestern Washington University admits 93% of applicants. Together they have 18,142 students on campus.In-state price at Western Washington UniversityLiving in Washington, Western Washington University charges $9,582 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $28,707. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 2.1 miles awayBellingham Technical College in Bellingham: tuition and fees $4,431 a year for Washington residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Bellingham

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

17 of every 100 Bellingham residents are in college (WA: 6).

18,142students on campus at Bellingham’s 3 colleges, next to 96,395 residents (dorm students count as residents)
12,888college students live in Bellingham households rather than dorms
34.1median age · WA 38.3
52%of residents are women · WA 50% (±0.8 points)
55%of homes rented · WA 36%
$1,577median rent · 10% below the state
BellinghamBellingham, WA
Cost of living$1,577/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Bellingham’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 18.6% of Bellingham residents are below the poverty line, 13.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 49% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 17%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Bellingham’s median age is 34.1 (Washington 38.3), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Bellingham

All 4 are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Bellingham.

5 mi10 mi15 miWestern Washington UniversityWhatcomBellingham Technical CollegeBellingham
University or collegeCommunity college
Western Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 14,432 on campus · In Bellingham93%admitted$21knet price65%graduate$63kearningsBellingham Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,454 on campus · In Bellingham$6knet price42%graduate$50kearningsTuition and fees: $4,431 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Whatcom Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,256 on campus · In Bellingham$12knet price36%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $5,115 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Northwest Indian CollegeUniversity or college · Public · 404 on campus · 7.2 mi · Bellingham$3knet price18%graduate$35kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Bellingham’s median household income ($66,755) falls.

Northwest Indian College7.2 mi · Bellingham · sticker $10,551$3,709a year
Bellingham Technical CollegeIn Bellingham · sticker $16,104 · tuition $4,431$6,510a year
Whatcom Community CollegeIn Bellingham · sticker $19,672 · tuition $5,115$12,411a year
Western Washington UniversityIn Bellingham · sticker $30,359$17,539a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Bellingham: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Western Washington UniversityBellingham Technical CollegeWhatcomNorthwest Indian College
Western Washington University65% graduate$63k earnings$18k typical debt
Whatcom Community College36% graduate$44k earnings$11k typical debt
Bellingham Technical College42% graduate$50k earnings$17k typical debt
Northwest Indian College18% graduate$35k earnings

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Bellingham

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Bellingham’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 11%Interdisciplinary 9%Social sciences 7%Education 6%Psychology 6%Liberal arts 6%Everything else 55%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralWestern Washington University · 240 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchWestern Washington University · 207 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralWestern Washington University · 128 graduates a year
$110k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherWestern Washington University · 128 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesWestern Washington University · 115 graduates a year
$38k4 yrs out
MarketingWestern Washington University · 115 graduates a year
$69k4 yrs out
SociologyWestern Washington University · 106 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Special Education and TeachingWestern Washington University · 102 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Bellingham

Is Bellingham a college town?

Yes. 17 of every 100 Bellingham residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Washington. Western Washington University has 14,432 students on campus, next to 96,395 residents.

What colleges are in Bellingham?

Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Technical College are inside the city.

Why is Bellingham’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 18.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Bellingham, and what does it cost?

Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, 2.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,431 a year for Washington residents; the federal net price, $5,997, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Western Washington University?

Western Washington University admitted 93% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,150–1,390 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bellingham. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →